Improved thatch roof



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Letters Patent No". 99,304, dated February 1, 1870.

IMPROVED THATCH ROOF.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LIONEL FOSTER, of Burlington, in the county of DesMoines, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and improved ThatchedRoof and Movable Roofing-scaffold; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part bf thisspecification.

.Figure 1 represents `a longitudinal section of my improved thatchedroof. i

Figure-2 is a detail transverse section of the same, taken on the planeof the line x a', iig. 1.

Figure 3 is a face view of a movable roofing-scaffold, whichI preferablyemploy in constructing my improved thatched roof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

rLhis invention relates to a new manner of fastening the straw upon thetie-bars or slats which cross and connect the rafters, and to a new-mode of treating a thatched roof, in order to make it entirelywater-proof, and, to a great degree, lire-proof, and also to increaseits durability.

The straw is fastened in the following manner:

It is spread, in sufficient quantity, upon the fties or slats A A, whicharefastened to the rafters B.

A wire or cord, O, is then fastened at one end of I the tie or slat,upon which one layer, D, of straw is placed. Such wire or cord is thenstretched over the straw and above and along the tie, drawn tightly, andthen fastened at the opposite end of the tie or slat. It thus holds thelayer ofstraw in place.

` To hold it still more secure, small loops, E, of wire or fabric,\aredrawn through the straw, and tied firmly around the slat and stretchedwire, as is clearly shown in tig. 2, the intervals'between such loopsbeing suficiently short to insure security and durability.

Or, instead of using the long wire, in connection with loops, as ,abovedescribed, the long wire alone may be used, iirst fastening one end, asin the first inode; then passing the wire along the tie and above thestraw, twelve or fifteen inches, more or less, as

` may be deemed necessary, then inserting the wire through the straw andaround the tie or slat, then up through the straw to the top` and thereforming a loop or knot, with the wire or cord, so as to retain the strawthus passed over and tied rmly in place; then passing over a similardistance in the same manner, tying again in the same way, and repeatingthe operation, unt-il the. opposite end of the tie is reached.

When one layer of straw has been thus secured, by either of the twomodes above described, the next layer is applied upon the tie or slat,next above it, in

the same manner, the operation beingrepeated, layer by layer, until theridge of the roof is reached. A very desirable and substantial roof visthus obtained.

A thatched roof, made as aforesaid, is rendered absolutely water-proof,and is protected from decay andv the attacks of vermin of alldescription, by being coated, layer by layer, as the thatch is pnt on,from above the wire fastenings to the buts, with hot tar, pitch, oranysimilar roofing-composition, this coating being covered with sand,ashes, or other material, 'while the tar, pitch, or composition, is softenough to be be tenacious and to retain it.

This application of coating to the staaw or thatch, makes the roof moredurable than naked straw, and also, in a certain degree, fire-proof. Thesalneinvention is applicable to all thatch roofs, to thatch stacks, andthatched sides cf buildings.

The scaffold shown in the drawings, and conveniently applicable inlaying the thatched roof, is constructed 0f three boards or planks,substantial enough to support one, two, or more workmen, while engagedin putting on rooting.

The irst board stands on edge, its proper width depending on the pitchof the roof, and supports, by attachment at its upper edge, the outeredge ofthe f second board, which should be twelve to eighteen incheswide, and is in a horizontal position.

To the inner edge of this second board is fastened le third, which isonly widel enough to project slightly above the thickness of the thatch,and incliues from the perpendicular of the vsecond board, and toward theroof, so that the buts of the straw, when laid upon the tie, willreceive a uniform and proper pitch outward, from thc top downward, allyof which plainly and sufficiently appears, by reference to gs. l and 3.This scaffold, when in use, is kept in position by a rope, at eitherend, attached to any portion of the rooilA frame, and is moved upward,course by course, as the thatch or roong is put on.

' Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A thatchedroof, in which the several layers or courses of straw are secured to theslats, by means of a stretched wire or cord, C, and by separate loops, EE, substantially as herein shown and described.,k

2. A thatched roof, in which the several layers or courses of straw aresecured to the slats by means of the wire or cord C, fastened at theendsand at intervals along the courses, substantially as herein shown anddescribed. v

3. A water and fire-proof thatched-roof, when coated to make it so,substantially as herein shown and described.

W`itnesses:' LIONEL FOSTER.

- G Eo. FRAZEE,

S. E. LAY'roN.

